You can lean on me
by cuteasklaine0216
Summary: Jeff is a foster child run through the system, and nick is just another foster parent like all the rest. except this parent is actually concerned with jeff's well being. jeff isnt sure he likes where this is going when he gets a toothache. two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: welcome to yet another story by yours truly. This was a prompt given to me by the lovely Nick-rachel-nichel. I hope you guys like it, it will probably only be a two-shot.**

Well this was just perfect. Of all the foster homes he could have been placed in, it had to be this one. Jeff already had a problem being close to people. What with all the moving around, he didn't ever feel like anyone cared enough to want him. This however was the worst. His foster dad was a dentist from what he had been told about him, and there were two other boys and a girl in the house as well; More people to embarrass himself in front of. He would just have to make the best of it and avoid his foster dad as much as possible.

The social worker pulled up to a very pristine two story home. There were a lot of glass walls and bay windows. It even had a tower on one end of the house. It definitely looked like the home of a doctor. Jeff stepped out of the sedan and grabbed his duffel bag. He could see two guys looking out from a second story window. One of them gave a small wave, and Jeff returned with a reluctant flick of his wrist.

The front door opened and in the door way stood a tall brunet man with chestnut eyes and a boyish dimpled smile. He didn't look that scary. Maybe this wouldn't be that bad.

"Hey there, you must be Jeff. You can call me Nick if you'd like" his foster dad noted. Jeff gave a weak smile and stepped past him into the house. Nick spoke with the social worker for a few minutes before coming back in the house. "So Jeff, I can give you a tour of the house if you'd like, and show you your room. You'll get your own room, I hope that okay."

Jeff had been silent up to this point. "Yeah, Nick, that'd be cool. This is a really nice house by the way" he commented.

"Thank you Jeff, four years of graduate school does have its perks" Nick smiled and noticed Jeff was rather uncomfortable. "Are you okay Jeff?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine, just getting used to another house is all."

Nick took him on a quick tour of the house. The kitchen was very spacious and had a large island in the center. Most of the house had a neutral tone to it, lots of beige and whites. To the right of the kitchen was a long hall that led to one of the bedrooms and the garage. Jeff glanced into the room at the end of the hall across from the garage and peeked into the slightly ajar door. What he saw made him cringe. It was Nick's home office, and Nick seemed to notice his interest.

"Sometimes there are emergencies and with my office being so far from here I thought it was a good idea to have this room set."

Jeff nodded his head quickly and bit his lip. He felt sick and wanted to leave this part of the house and never return. He backed away and wandered back into the foyer. Nick took him upstairs and showed him his room.

"I'll be downstairs if you need anything. We're ordering pizza tonight, do you have any preference on what you want on it?" Nick inquired.

"No, no preference, thank you" Jeff quickly spoke. He wanted, no, NEEDED to be left alone right now.

He started to unpack his bag and pulled out a granola bar he bought from the gas station on the way here. He ate it on the go as he oved around his room, placing his books on the dresser, hanging a couple posters. This was his routine each time he was replaced in a new home.

He took another bite of his granola bar and felt a sharp shock in his jaw. "OW" he shouted as he dropped the snack on the floor. He bent to pick it up and saw a pair of shoes in his doorway. It was his new 'sister'.

"Hi" she smiled warmly "I'm Sarah, you must be Jeff. I heard you shout and I just came to see if you're okay" she spoke.

"I'm fine; just seem to have a small toothache. It'll go away on its own though. So, how's it going?" Jeff changed the subject.

"Uh, no I don't think it will, you want me to tell Nick? He can help you" she offered.

"NO, no don't do that. Its fine, it'll be fine" Jeff assured her. Sarah didn't look convinced.

"Jeff….. Are you scared?" Sarah asked softly.

"Please don't tell Nick!" Jeff whispered intensely. "I can't deal with this right now. I'm not doing it." Jeff got up from his bed and paced across the room. Sarah looked concerned but kept herself silent.

Nick came upstairs and knocked on the open door. "Hey you guys, the pizza is here. Are you getting to know each other already?" he smiled.

Jeff looked nervously at Sarah waiting for her to say something, anything.

"Yeah dad, were just talking about school. Jeff starts on Monday and I was telling him about his teachers."

"Well that's great, you can go tell your brothers dinner is here and I'll get the table set" Nick stood and walked back down the stairs.

Sarah looked to Jeff now that they were alone again. "Look, I'm not a tattle tale, but you need to tell Nick what's going on. He won't hurt you I promise. He's actually really sweet."

"I appreciate your concern, but I've been down this road before and it never turns out okay. My parents never gave a crap about me and because of that I've never had a pleasant experience at any doctor's office."

Sarah nodded her head solemnly. "I promise this time would be different. Just think about it okay?" she got up and went down the hall to gather the family. Jeff made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. Nick was sitting at the table checking his IPad. He looked up as his kids entered the kitchen one by one.

"So how was everyone's day?" Nick asked.

"Dad, I've decided I no longer want to be a high school student, I want to live in the woods and be a burrito, not a high school senior." Adam spoke first.

"I second that!" Michael responded.

"Very funny you two, what about you Sarah?" Nick turned to his daughter.

"I helped Jeff unpack his room." Sarah ate her pizza quietly, trying not to make eye contact with Nick.

Nick observed the kids to try and pick up what was going on between them. He noticed Jeff was just picking at his food, and eating very slowly.

After ten minutes the boys had finished up their dinner and excused themselves. Sarah and Jeff made a move to get up but Nick stopped them.

"You two, sit down we need to talk" he spoke with his arms crossed. "You were awfully quiet during dinner Sarah, and Jeff, you hardly ate at all. Is there something you want to tell me?"

"No" Jeff spoke a little too quickly. Sarah just shook her head and bit her lip to keep from saying anything.

"alright, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Sarah is keeping your secret Jeff, and I'm going to go a step further and say it's a secret you are trying to keep from me for a reason" Nick pondered. Jeff was sweating now.

"Shall I continue or do you guys want to fess up?"

Sarah nudged Jeff in the ribs and gave him a look that said 'your busted, might as well be honest'.

Jeff looked pale as he made eye contact with his step dad for one of the few times today. "Well… one of my teeth started bothering me, and Sarah told me to tell you, and I would have eventually! But its fine really, nothing to worry about" Jeff trailed off.

Nick looked at his daughter "Sarah, can you finish clearing the table for me, and Jeff come with me. I want to try and take care of this tonight if that alright."

Jeff stood abruptly from the table and backed towards the foyer. "No way Nick, I can't… I just can't do it." he ran up the stairs and hid in his room. Jeff pulled the duvet up over his head and made himself a cocoon of blankets. He knew that wouldn't protect him from intruders, but it was comforting nonetheless.

There was a knock at the door, and Jeff felt a weight on his mattress. Nick tried to pry the covers off of Jeff but he held tight. "Jeff, please talk to me, why are you so scared?"

"I-I don't know Nick. It's gonna hurt, like all the times before. Please don't make me do this" Jeff begged.

Nick sighed "Jeff, the longer you wait on something like this the worse it will get, you have to trust me on that. Can you at least let me just look. Nothing will happen I promise you."

Jeff poked his head out from his duvet and glanced at his foster dad. "Please swear to me you're not lying Nick, I'm seriously freaking out."

"You have nothing to worry about with me, it won't hurt a bit."

With much trepidation Jeff slunk out of his bed and apprehensively followed Nick down the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

Jeff's body was wracked with tremors as he followed Nick down the stairway. Jeff's foster dad turned around when he heard whimpers escaping from his newest son. Nick ruffled Jeff's hair and put a hand on his back to support him as they walked towards the garage. Jeff didn't like this one bit, he felt like he was being forced into this. He got skittish as they approached Nick's office and tried to duck under his foster dad's arm. Nick gently grabbed the collar of his shirt and held him in place.

"Jeff, we talked about this, nothing is going to hurt you."

Jeff couldn't get any words out at this point and was just whining quietly. This is not how he wanted to spend his first day with his new family. He knew he was being a child about all this, after all he was sixteen. So he slowly let Nick push him through the door. Nick shut the door and turned to Jeff.

"Alright, Jeff, have a seat. I want to talk to you first."

Jeff complied and sat on the very edge of the reclining chair, not putting his feet on or letting his guard down. Nick sat down too and rolled his stool over so he was facing Jeff.

"So, I'm not going to judge you or get mad, but how long have you been avoiding this situation Jeff?"

Jeff bit his lip and looked away from nicks gaze. "A year, maybe two" he admitted. Nick didn't look convinced.

"Judging from your reactions a few moments ago I think we both know that's not entirely truthful Jeff" Nick reasoned.

"Okay, probably more like four years" Jeff confessed.

Nick nodded knowingly. He grabbed a few disposable tools and placed them on a tray near Jeff's legs. Jeff looked away and shut his eyes; he was getting nauseous and lightheaded. Nick noticed and began speaking to distract him.

"So Jeff, I see you have your nose pierced on the left side, how was that when you did it?" Nick inquired.

Jeff had to think about it for a minute. "It hurt a lot actually; I don't know how people do it more than once."

"Well if you can make it through that, this will be nothing" Nick smiled. "You're looking a bit pale Jeff. I think if you lay down you would feel less faint" Nick tried to reason. "Just close your eyes and block everything out."

Jeff tried to sit properly, but when nick reclined his chair he got jumpy again and a few tears rimmed his eyes and trickled down his cheeks.

"Jeff, can you let me look at your teeth now?" he asked as he laid a bib across Jeff's chest and flipped the light on. Jeff heard him pick up his tools and went into slight panic mode. His eyes flew open and he stared intently at Nick and everything surrounding him. Jeff kept his mouth closed as his breathing picked up.

"Jeff, calm down. Close your eyes again, you were doing great before. Just don't look at anything and breathe" Nick coaxed.

Jeff listened to his new dad much to Nick surprise and went back to his self-affixed meditation. Jeff opened his mouth fractionally, but it was a start.

"That's great Jeff, you're doing great, just a little bit more though. If you need me to stop just raise your hand."

Jeff opened his mouth a little wider, just enough for Nick to gain access. Nick began checking Jeff's teeth thoroughly just in case there were other problems. Jeff felt the metal tools touching his teeth and he flinched away reflexively.

"Stay still Jeff, you're okay" Nick soothed. Jeff couldn't handle it though and continued to flinch with every move Nick made. As Nick moved closer to his sensitive area Jeff's hand flew up in panic. He sat up abruptly and started hyperventilating. Nick rubbed his back soothingly until he calmed down again.

"Are you okay now Jeff?" Nick asked.

"Yeah….. I just…. I was afraid you would touch it… and it would hurt again. Please don't touch it Nick, please?" Jeff begged.

"Jeff, I won't hurt you. I promise not to touch it. Let's try again."

Jeff smirked a little to himself and repositioned himself. Nick looked around some more, tapped a few teeth, and did a little scraping. All of which made Jeff cringe, until finally he placed his tools back on the tray and turned off the light. Jeff sat up and looked Nick in the eyes. He was starting to trust his foster dad, or dad, as he was growing fond of him now.

"Well, is it bad?" he asked meekly.

"Not at all, in fact you only have three cavities. Pretty good for someone whose been avoiding this for a while."

Jeff's eyes grew wide and his stomach sank. "Th-three? C-cavities? Are you sure, I mean one I get sure but maybe the other two aren't really there right?" Jeff tried to justify.

Nick placed a hand on his shoulder to try and clam his youngest son down. "you're going to be just fine, it won't hurt, we'll just take care of them tonight and you'll feel much better" Nick grinned and reclined Jeff's chair again.

Jeff became wildly distressed at the thought of how fast this was happening. He saw Nick gathering a few tools he would need and his heart fluttered when he glimpsed a hypodermic and vial on the counter. The only thing Jeff feared more than the dentist was any type of needle. The damn piercing in his nose was his cousin's idea, and they had gotten him drunk prior to doing it at his friend's studio. Jeff flinched at the mere thought and climbed out of his seat quickly. Nick looked up and tried to calm Jeff as he pressed himself against the door to the hall.

"Jeff, don't over think this, it will be over before you know it, and all you'll feel are two pinches" Nick rationalized.

"I can't, I can't, I can't do this Nick, I just…..no I just can't." Jeff repeated profusely and bolted out the door. He tried thinking his way through the brand new house and decided his best chances were to find a spot outside to flee. Jeff slid through the kitchen and flung open the back patio door. He ran outside and turned to see if Nick was following him, surely he had to be. Jeff failed to watch his step and ran straight into the pool in the back yard.

Nick heard the splash and found his son soaking wet in the lap pool, treading water. "Alright Jeff, out of the pool. Go dry off so we can finish this" Nick pointed over his shoulder to the house. Jeff shook his head stubbornly. He figured he was safe in the protection of the water.

Nick smiled deviously "you want me to come in and get you out myself; I promise you if I have to do that Jeff you will be sorry."

Jeff could hear the intensity in nicks voice and meekly got out of the water. "Nick, I'm sorry, please….. I don't like needles. I'm really sorry." Jeff shut his eyes and waited for the yelling to begin. Nick just sighed. Go upstairs and change. Be down here in five minutes. We're going to work through this as a team.

Jeff unscrewed his eyes and looked confused at Nick. "You're not mad? Aren't you going to shout at me?"

"What would that accomplish except make you more stressed Jeff? Besides, it was really funny to see you soaking wet" Nick laughed energetically. "Go change, I'll be down here waiting."

**A/N: okay I lied; it's a three-shot. Do those exist? Anyway, I hope you like ya. Review and subscribe. Don't forget to send me prompts of what you want to read. I am a fanfic fairy.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Okay you can do this" Jeff spoke to himself as he stripped off his wet jeans and pulled on a hoodie and sweat pants. "Look, you already got through the exam, and that wasn't that hard" he continued to monologue. "I'm sure Nick is different, he cares, and he'll be gentle."

Jeff thought back to a memory from when he was much younger, before his mother's custody was revoked. He had complained about his tooth for a while before she had actually taken him somewhere to fix it. by that point it was pretty bad. He remembered the office they went to all too vividly. There were lots of screaming kids and tired looking adults.

When it had been his turn they wouldn't even let his mom come in with him. That was the first red flag. It had been determined that Jeff's tooth had decayed too much for them to simply fix. Jeff became fearful and apprehensive to the situation. The doctor seemed very nonchalant about Jeff's nervousness. He told him his tooth was dead so they wouldn't need to numb him at all. That had been a lie as well. He screamed for his mom, but no help ever came through the doors. Jeff cried and tried to move around or leave but the nurses held him down.

That was the last time he had ever made it past a waiting room. He didn't tell his mom when he was feeling ill after that incident. He later found out the office was sued for malpractice and never had a license to practice in the first place. The thought after hearing that terrified Jeff, and caused him to become much less trusting to the world.

Now Jeff was shaking again, why did he have to go and dig up old memories? He sat at the head of his bed and pulled his legs up to his chest. A few hot tears rolled down his cheeks and he wiped them away with his pillow. He felt his face turning red from embarrassment.

Sarah walked into his room and when she saw his face a look of compassion washed over her features as she sat down next to him on the bed. She took Jeff's hand and squeezed it tight, it helped.

"You know, when Adam had a problem similar to yours, he flipped out. He was screaming and running, I even think I saw some tears too" Sarah giggled. "You are handling this a little better than him."

Jeff wiped a few more tears away "and what helped him get through it?" Jeff whispered curiously.

"Well, he'll never admit it, but Nick let me hold his hand the whole time" She grinned. "I could probably arrange for the same deal if you'd like."

Jeff nodded his head shyly and smiled. "I don't want to do this" he whispered.

"What's making you so scared Jeff?" she asked concernedly.

He took a deep shaky breath and retold his inner monologue to his new sister. When he finished her eyes were wide and fearful.

"Oh god, that sounds horrifying. I can see why you're afraid. Thankfully, you don't have to worry about that again. I've seen Nick do what he does, to others and me, and he's so nice Jeff. You'll be okay."

Jeff smiled and allowed Sarah to help him off the bed and lead him down the stairs. Nick was waiting in the kitchen, sipping a cup of coffee. He saw the two and stood up, putting his cup in the sink. "Are you all set Jeff? This shouldn't take longer than an hour. I'm going to take things really slow for you."

Jeff smiled at that. Nick was making an effort and he appreciated it. He was led back to the office where Nick had already set up his tools. Jeff shut his eyes and sat down in his seat. He felt Sarah's hand slid into his own and relaxed slightly. Nick reclined Jeff's chair and pulled some gloves on. The snap made Jeff jump and his heartrate increased. Nick switched on the light and placed a bib on Jeff.

"Okay Jeff, open your eyes for a second, I want to show you something."

Nick took the syringe form earlier and placed it in Jeff's hands with the cap on. Jeff was surprised and looked confused.

"I want you to hold it, get comfortable holding it. How does it feel?" Nick prompted.

"It feels heavy, its fine I guess" Jeff shrugged.

"Alright, now, I want to do a practice run with the cap on. I think it will be easier for you if we practice" Nick explained as he took back the syringe.

"I'm going to do two injections. One here, and one here" Nick said pointing to the two areas on Jeff's jawline. "Alright, the cap is on. Can you open a bit for me Jeff?"

Jeff was hesitant as he looked at the needle in Nick's hand, but he had to learn to trust him somehow. He cautiously opened his mouth. When Nick brought the needle closer he flinched away out of reflex.

"Look Jeff, the cap is on, it can't do anything." Nick demonstrated this by poking his arm with the end repeatedly. Jeff nodded his head and opened his mouth readily this time.

Nick pressed the syringe in the spot it would eventually go and Jeff had a moment of panic. He made fearful whine and clutched Sarah's hand tighter.

"We're just getting used to the feeling Jeff. You're alright" Nick soothed. He took the needle back out and placed it on the tray. "How do you feel now that you know what's coming?"

Jeff shuddered and looked up at Nick. "It freaks me out, will it hurt?"

"No Jeff, it won't hurt I promise. It will be uncomfortable though. I have this gel we will use so you don't feel it as much" Nick explained. "Are you ready to try this for real?"

Jeff sighed and reluctantly nodded. He wanted to get this over with so he could relax.

Nick grabbed the gel and two q-tips. He got Jeff to open his mouth and he placed them in the two locations he would be numbing. Jeff looked around the room while they waited. Sarah gave him an encouraging smile.

After a minute or so Nick took the q-tips back out and grabbed the needle again, this time removing the cap. Jeff felt sick this time around and shut his eyes voluntarily. He opened when Nick asked him to and felt the heaviness of the syringe in his mouth. He forced himself to go ridged and not move or flinch. There was a pinch and it lasted for a good ten seconds. Nick did the same to the other side of Jeff's mouth. When Nick was done Jeff realized a few tears had fallen from his eyes, and he wiped them away quickly.

"You did really well Jeff, and that was the worst part of this" Nick grinned, then turned to Sarah. "You should go tell your brother to put some headphones on. He won't like hearing this, I know" Nick told her.

Sarah got up to leave and Jeff grabbed her wrist in a panic. "Oh god, no please, don't leave!" he cried.

"It's alright Jeff, she'll be back" Nick commented. Jeff just turned to Nick and covered his mouth with his hand. He had a look of sheer terror in his eyes.

"Don't panic Jeff, I promise I won't do anything until Sarah is back. If it makes you feel better, by all means keep guarding yourself."

Jeff continued his protective stance despite Nick's promise. Eventually Sarah returned and sat in her spot, retaking Jeff's hand.

"Adam thanks you for the warning, and sends his love" she smirked.

"Alright Jeff, let's see if were ready to go" Nick spoke up. He grabbed his tools and asked Jeff to open.

"Can you feel this Jeff?" Nick asked tapping one of Jeff's teeth. Jeff shook his head. "Alright, were all set then."

Nick grabbed the handpiece and turned it on briefly, which made Jeff jolt slightly. "Open up Jeff" Nick asked.

Jeff kept his mouth shut and looked at Nick apprehensively. He shook his head. "Come on Jeff, it won't hurt I promise." Jeff continued to shake his head despite nicks attempts to calm him. Nick was nothing like the last dentist Jeff had the misfortune of meeting, however, Jeff still couldn't shake his last experience. "Jeff, you need to let me fix your teeth, now open your mouth please" Nick ordered kindly. Jeff bit his lip and shut his eyes, willing himself somewhere else. He was taking his time in considering Nick's request. When he felt Sarah squeeze his hand tighter he reluctantly opened his mouth a fraction.

"Just a little more Jeff, this will be over in fifteen minutes I swear, you're doing great" Nick encouraged.

Jeff opened his mouth all the way; finally giving in. he took a deep breath in and braced himself. He expected pain when Nick started the drill this time, but was relieved to find there was none. Just as Nick and Sarah had promised. He heard Sarah giggle as he relaxed his hand that had been in a death grip with hers.

Eventually Nick finished up and dried Jeff's fillings. He turned off the light and let Jeff sit up again. "See, that wasn't bad for the most part. If you can get through that you can get through an exam from now on right?" Nick encouraged.

Jeff grinned at his suggestion. "Yeah, I think I can manage that, dad."

Nick beamed at Jeff's choice of words.

**A/N: I'm going to start a series of one-shots that I'll post based on prompts I receive. I already have one to get started on, so let me know what you guys want to read and I'll write it.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Ya'll wanted to know what the story with adam is? Well here you go.**

The guys were playing basketball in the driveway one Sunday morning. Jeff and Adam chose one on one, because Sarah wasn't interested in playing and Michael was just terrible. Nick had taken Sarah with him to get McDonalds for breakfast as a treat for everyone getting good grades that quarter. Michael sat on the front steps, bored out of his mind. He was flipping through a comic book absent-mindedly. Jeff had the ball, and was playing a good game of defense against Adam. Although he was two years younger they were still the same height.

Michael became bored with his comic and threw it to the side of the porch. He walked to the end of the driveway and picked up a handful of stones. He flicked them aimlessly around the yard, hitting poles, walls, and his brothers as well.

"Ow, Michael quit it" Adam complained as a rock hit his ankle. Michael smiled as he realized his new form of entertainment. He threw more rocks in the court, making it more difficult for the boys to play. "Seriously dude stop" Jeff joined in. Michael stopped at that, because he hadn't known Jeff as long and was a little more afraid of what he would do.

The guys continued their game, Jeff being seven points ahead. Adam finally got the ball away from him and went for a three point shot. He missed and Jeff went for the rebound, which missed as well. Adam was prepared to catch it, but slipped on the rocks under his feet and flew backwards. His right hand was too busy trying to break his fall to stop the ball from hitting him in the face.

Jeff covered his mouth in shock and ran over to his brother. "Oh crap! Adam man, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

Adam sat on the ground with his hands over his face in pain. He pulled them away and saw they were covered in red. He screamed in panic and tried to wipe the blood off on his jeans, but to no avail. Jeff got down and helped Adam stand up by looping his arm over his shoulder and supporting his weight.

"What should we do? I can't deal with this!" Jeff panicked.

Michael ran out of the house with a towel in hand. And shoved it in Adam's mouth who hissed in pain and glared at the two.

"Come on, let's get him inside before the neighbors call the fire department" Michael warned. They dragged Adam into the kitchen and sat him at the counter. Jeff got another towel and turned Adam's face towards him. Adam changed it out on his own and winced from the pressure.

"We have to show Nick, he'll know what to do" Jeff spoke flustered.

"Nuh uh" Adam shook his head vigorously.

"I can't handle this Adam! I'm freaking sixteen! I'm not an adult, you think two sixteen and thirteen year old boys know how to fix this?" Jeff yelled.

Everyone in the room froze when they heard the car door slam shut in the driveway. Adam crossed his arms on the counter and buried his face in fear. Jeff and Michael just froze where they stood against the sink. They could hear Nick's voice carry into the house from outside.

"Whoa, what happened out here? Why is there blood? Guys! Is everything okay?"

Nick walked briskly into the kitchen followed by Sarah, with a look of concern plastered on his face.

"What happened boys, why is there so much blood on the pavement" Nick questioned looking from boy to boy. Jeff and Michael shook their heads obliviously. Nicks eyes wandered over Adam who wouldn't show his face.

"Adam, what's going on?"

Adam shook his head, but refused to lift his face and meet nicks gaze. Nick took that as a dead giveaway and walked over to his oldest son. He tried lifting him up but he wouldn't budge.

"Adam, let me see." His son shook his head stubbornly. "Let me see what happened. Jeff, can you enlighten me?"

Jeff moved his mouth but no words came out. "Well, um, Adam slipped and the basketball hit him… in the face" Jeff finished flatly.

"Oh Adam" Nick turned back to the counter "we've been through this before, you can show me. You're eighteen; you have to at least try to work with me."

Adam clung to the counter with both hands and turned his face away from Nick. Sarah gasped when she saw the rag hanging from his mouth turned crimson. Nick grabbed Adams head and forced him to turn around.

"I need to see what happened, let's take the towel out" Nick coaxed gently. Adam shook his head and covered his mouth with his hands.

"Dude, just let Nick look at it at least, you seriously messed up your mouth" Jeff supplied.

Adam felt the room ganging up on him and stood to flee, but Nick had dealt with his son before and grabbed his shoulders, steering him towards his office. Adam dug his heels into the linoleum and clung to the doorframe. "Nuh uh! Le go o' eh"

"Adam if this is what I suspect you could be missing a tooth, and if we don't fix it as quickly as possible we won't be able to put it back. Now let go of the door and do as I say!" Nick ordered. Jeff had never heard him raise his voice like that. Adam sunk to the floor crying his eyes out. Sarah and Michael seemed un-phased by his behavior, but Jeff averted his eyes uncomfortably.

Nick sighed "I'm sorry Adam, I didn't mean to yell, but you need to listen to me. I'm sure you're in pain right now, nothing could possibly be worse than what you're already experiencing correct?" Adam nodded slightly.

"Right, then let me see" Nick pointed to Adam's jaw. Adam allowed Nick to remove the towel and cup his chin in his hand.

"Yeah, we have to take care of this now" Nick insisted and rose from the ground hauling Adam up with him.

"Nnnnn uh, wait, I can't do this" Adam squeaked. "You didn't even tell me what you have to do."

"And for good reason, I don't want you getting all worked up" Nick countered.

Adam started backing up again, but this time Jeff put a hand on his shoulder in support. "Come on man, we'll do this together. I'll come with you."

Adam let out a slow breath and walked forward, flanked by Jeff and Nick. Both of the boys shivered when they entered nicks office, which caused Nick to smirk, and shake his head.

Nick put his hand on Adams shoulder and pushed him into the chair. Adam fought it and stood up as soon as his butt hit the seat. Nick frowned, and stood between him and the door.

"You are going to sit down and let this happen Adam" Nick warned. Adam shook his head fiercely and grabbed Jeff to use as a human shield. Jeff's eyes widened and he shifted uncomfortably now that he was in a type of hostage situation.

"Alright, let's try this. How about Jeff shows you how easy it is to sit down and relax" Nick proposed.

Jeff did a double take as he tried to pry Adam off of himself. "What? Why do I have to be the guinea pig?"

Nick backed up and locked the door behind his back so Adam couldn't flee the room. "Because you're here for moral support." Jeff looked uneasy and skeptical. "Do I have to; I don't think it will help."

Nick smiled and shook his head "yes it will, try it. This time you don't have anything wrong, so there's nothing to worry about."

Jeff sighed nervously and sat down in the chair. He fidgeted with the zipper on his jacket while Nick adjusted the light and handed Adam a new towel to bite on. Nick picked up his tools and asked Jeff to open, who complied. Adam watched anxiously as Nick checked around Jeff's mouth, scrapping and tapping. Jeff didn't look too pleased either as he looked around the room to distract himself. Adam looked to Jeff for any sign of flight, but Jeff just gave him a thumbs-up to reassure him.

Nick finished up his quick exam of Jeff and released him. He turned to Adam who began to cry again. He patted his back sympathetically. "You just saw your brother do it, now it's time to act like an eighteen year old and at least try to get through this."

Adam nodded his head in agreement despite his shaking hands and red rimmed eyes. He managed to sit in the chair the second time around and let Nick prep the area. He started hyperventilating when Nick pulled on his gloves and opened a new pack of tools. Adam tried to move away when Nick reclined the chair and turned on the light. He looked up at his dad and clenched his jaw when Nick asked him to open, which caused him to yelp in pain from the pressure.

"I can see you're in pain Adam, let me take a look and fix it."

Adam shook his head and covered his mouth "no, no, no you're not fixing anything" Adam argued.

Jeff intervened and took Adams hand away from his face; he held it tight in his own hand. "You really think anything will happen with Nick? Besides, I'm here and I know exactly how you feel dude."

Adam nodded his head and unclenched his jaw. He was starting to get a headache from the pain and it was making him feel dizzy. Nick didn't hesitate when Adam opened his mouth, and began looking intently at his injury. The boys didn't take it as a good sign when Nick sighed and pinched his eyes shut.

"w-what's wrong dad?" Adam whimpered.

"Jeff, go get your iPod from upstairs, Adam needs it to relax" Nick ordered.

"Dad? You're not telling me anything…. What do you have to do?" Adam squeaked. Jeff got up before a fight started and left the room. When he came back downstairs Adams face was paler than when he left.

"Jeff, he won't tell me what's wrong. I don't want to do this anymore" Adam cried. He tried to get up but Nick pushed him back down.

"No, you're staying right here."

"The only time you ever tell me to listen to music is…. Is…" Adams eyes widened in realization. "Oh god no, nope, no way. You aren't coming near me with that…. thing" Adam struggled further.

"Adam, there's only one way to fix this, well, two ways if you don't mind losing one of your permanent teeth. I'd like to avoid that though. You chipped the tooth in half, and cut the inside of your lip. I won't go into details to spare your sanity, but it's more than just a filling at this point. I'm also going to have to give you a couple stitches to stop the bleeding you incurred."

A strangled sob was the only thing to escape Adam's lips as he uselessly struggled to pry his father's hands off of himself.

"Adam, stop. Calm down, you're alright. Nothing bad will happen in here, not with me, you know that" Nick soothed. "Take a few deep breaths and let them out even slower."

Adam obeyed nicks orders and soon he was breathing normally again, albeit the shaking of his hands and legs hadn't stopped. He was calm to the point where Nick could release him without fear of him running.

"Alright, were going to take care of that cut first. Go ahead and put your music in to relax yourself. Close your eyes too."

Adam gulped when he saw Nick pick up a syringe and uncap it. Nick turned to look at his son and frowned in disapproval. "Turn around and close your eyes."

Adam shook his head vigorously. "Nuh uh, no way."

Nick approached his son and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let me do this or you won't be happy with how we proceed."

Adam was twice as stubborn as he was scared, and he covered his mouth with both hands defiantly. Nick sighed, shook his head and got up to stick his head out of the office door. "Sarah, come in here for a second honey, I need your help."

Adam looked skittish as his sister entered the room. "Sarah can you help me with Adam for a second?" Nick asked.

Sarah came up behind the chair and took Adam hands off his face. She rubbed his shoulders soothingly and gave a gentle encouragement. When Nick came back over with the needle she gently took his arms and pinned them against his chest. Adam squirmed around looking for an escape. Nick grabbed his chin and held his mouth open while he had the chance. Adam started to cry and Jeff couldn't take it anymore. He got up to leave, as his own insecurities about being here were eating away at him.

Adam cried out when Jeff stood up, squirming more. Nick released him after he administered the anesthetic. "Wait Jeff! Don't leave please." Adam pleaded. "You know what it's like, please stay" he begged.

Jeff nodded solemnly and sat down next to his brother again. After a few minutes Nick readied the sutures and scooted closer to Adam.

"This time I mean it, turn your music on and close your eyes."

Adam nodded his head and shut his tear stained eyes. He barely opened his mouth for Nick, but it was enough. He quickly stitched up the cut inside Adam's cheek and placed the tools back on the tray.

"Alright, the quick part is done with, now you won't be bleeding everywhere." Nick gave his son a knowing look. "And the stitches are dissolvable, because I know I won't be able to get you to sit still to take them out."

Adam grinned at that comment. "You got that right."

"Alright, let's get ready to fix the real problem" Nick commented as he adjusted the light over Adam and prepped his tools.

"You, um, you still haven't told me what you're doing dad." Adam pointed out. His throat was dry and his palms were sweaty.

"You don't need to know, and get yourself all worked up" Nick pointed out. "Just relax and lie down."


	5. Chapter 5

"_Alright, let's get ready to fix the real problem" Nick commented as he adjusted the light over Adam and prepped his tools._

"_You, um, you still haven't told me what you're doing dad." Adam pointed out. His throat was dry and his palms were sweaty._

"_You don't need to know, and get yourself all worked up" Nick pointed out. "Just relax and lie down."_

"I can't relax dad!" Adam said in a strained voice. "Please, can't you just knock me out or something?" he pleaded.

"No Adam, that won't help you with your fear" Nick chided.

"But it will help me this time!"

"And next time we'll be back to where we started. Now if you see how easy and painless this is you can remember it next time. Now open up" Nick ordered.

Adam wished there hadn't been so many people in the room with him. In fact, he wished he was alone. Because when he started to cry he knew he was being ridiculous. He knew his younger sister was braver than him, his brother next to him had survived the ordeal not long ago, but he couldn't do it. All Adam could do now was sob and cry uncontrollably. He didn't even want to cry, his body couldn't stop itself. He knew his dad was right, and he was being unreasonable, but it wasn't like he chose to be afraid. This was engrained into him, and his dad just didn't understand.

"Can…I-I…..talk to….to Jeff" Adam was hyperventilating.

Nick placed his tools back on the tray with a sigh and nodded his head sympathetically. "I'll be right outside the door."

He stood to leave the room and beckoned Sarah with him. Before the two left the room Nick turned to Jeff and mouthed 'try to calm him down'. Jeff nodded and scooted closer to Adam once the door shut.

"What can I do to help?" Jeff inquired softly. Adam looked white as a sheet and there was a soft sheen of sweat on his forehead along with his red rimmed eyes due to the crying.

"Get him to leave me alone, please" Adam begged. "I can't Jeff- I just….. It's never been this bad before. Before it was a filling or two or dad would force me to let him clean my teeth. That was hard, but this….. I'm freaking bleeding Jeff, and it hurts so badly. He's gonna do stuff, and I don't know what, and I'm scared as hell." Adam panicked.

Jeff patted his back sympathetically. "I know how you feel, but you can get through this-"

"No, you don't know as well or you would be helping me get out of here. It's bad for you but it's impossible for me." He argued as he sat up in his seat.

"This isn't happening" Adam whispered mostly to himself. He was starting to look sick from Jeff's perspective.

"Adam are you okay?" Jeff asked.

"I don't feel well Jeff." Adam shut his eyes and ran a hand over his face. Nick walked back into the room when he heard the arguing stop. Upon seeing his father's face, and the thought of whatever procedure he would have to endure looming over him, Adam turned to the side of the chair and threw up all over Jeff's legs.

Nick stopped and stared incredulously. Jeff sat in awe with his hands out in front of him, palms up. He had a look of shock on his face as he stared straight forward at the wall.

"I've been throw up on, what do I do?" he asked in a monotone voice laced with distress.

"Go change your clothes and take a shower Jeff." Nick spoke clinically and pointed over his shoulder.

"okay." Jeff stood up slowly and stiffly walked from the room, hands still in front of him, and a traumatized expression on his face.

Nick sat down next to Adam and moved the tray of tools away as well as sat his chair up. "alright, we're going to talk now, about what just happened and what's got you so worked up okay?" Nick said in a gentle tone. He handed Adam a cup to rinse his mouth out while he took away his tools. Then he cleaned up the floor while Adam composed himself.

"Alright, so tell me. What's the story here?" Nick probed.

"I don't know; it's my brain dad. It won't let me relax" Adam shivered. "It's going to hurt, and I can't get that thought out of my head."

"Adam, have I ever hurt you before?" Nick questioned.

"No, but this hurts so badly right now, and that means it's going to be bad to fix right?"

"Not at all buddy, in fact, it's kind of amazing how easy it is to fix. Even better, as soon as you let me numb that area you won't feel it anymore" Nick assured.

"But… didn't you do that already?" Adam squeaked.

"Only for the cut, not your tooth. So can we try to fix this together?"

"I-I don't know."

"Listen Adam, you won't feel it. You won't hear it with your headphones, and you can stop me whenever you get nervous by raising your hand. Simple as that."

"I want to believe you dad, but that thought in my head is still playing. It keeps repeating, it's going to hurt, it's going to hurt, it's going to hurt."

"But it's not going to Adam."

"I know that, at least I think I do…."

"Would you prefer if I took you to Blaine to finish this up?"

"NO! No dad, just give me a minute, or ten." Adam was breathing heavily now.

Nick patted his shoulder as he calmed down again. "Alright, let's continue this conversation. What is scaring you besides the fact you think it's going to hurt?"

Adam took a moment and looked down at his feet. "I don't know, I'm lying down, and I'm in a position where I can't defend myself." Nick laughed at that comment. "The light is in my eyes, and I can't see what you're doing."

"What else?" Nick inquired.

"You won't tell me what you're doing, so my anxiety makes up something horrible" Adam shuddered.

"Alright, from what you have told me, I have a better understanding of what's going on. That being said, I'm your father. In your most frightening scenarios, do you really think if you were in pain or uncomfortable in any way, I wouldn't stop what I was doing?"

Adam wiped away a few stray tears that had developed while Nick spoke. He nodded his head in agreement with nicks statement.

"Ok, I'll tell you what I'm going to do, but you have to promise to stay calm and breathe, understand?"

Adam bit his lip in anticipation and stiffly nodded. Nick took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"You broke your tooth when the ball hit you in the face, which in turn, cut your lip. Now, we stitched that up, but your tooth can't just be fixed with a filling, there's too much trauma to the roots."

Now Adam was beginning to look sick again.

"Remember to breathe Adam" Nick coaxed. "Trauma to the roots means they have to be cleaned out-"

"NOOOOPE! Nope, no no no, no way dad, NO. I know what that means and screw this."

Adam got up quickly and was surprised when Nick didn't stop him.

"Alright Adam, if that's how you feel" Nick concluded.

"You mean, you're not going to make me?" Adam hesitated.

Nick shook his head and crossed his arms casually. "From what you told me, forcing you to do this will only increase your fear. So you are excused if you want to be. When it gets bad enough to take care of you can come find me."

As confusing as this situation had become, Adam took the opportunity and left the room quickly. He ran up to his room, shut the door, and crawled under his desk, still unsure if his dad was lulling him into a false sense of security. After an hour or two of uninterrupted silence, Adam decided to venture downstairs.

Sarah, Michael, and Jeff were watching Mockingjay part 1 while Nick made popcorn in the kitchen. The smell wafted up the steps to his nose and made his stomach growl. He hadn't eaten all day, and the thought itself made his tooth give him a quick shock. Nevertheless he made his way downstairs and scooted himself in between his brothers on the couch. The four all held their three fingers in the air and whistled the mockingjay salute as Nick walked in with the popcorn. Except for Adam who winced as he attempted it.

Nick placed the bowl in Adam's lap, and gave him a knowing look before sitting down in his own chair.

"How's your tooth Adam?" Sarah asked with a soft smile.

"It's fine" Adam said in a low growl. Nick gave a disapproving click of his tongue. Adam's face blanched and he sulked for a good while throughout the movie. He invested himself into the film after the first hour and forgot for a brief moment about his painful problem. Jeff passed the popcorn down the couch again and Adam took a big handful. He distractedly shoved it into his mouth, and held back a scream from his family. Jeff noticed, and nudged his shoulder. He got up from the couch and motioned for Adam to follow him to the kitchen.

"So, I see you let Nick do his job" Jeff shot sarcastically as they entered the kitchen.

"He gave me a choice and I chose no. now leave me alone"

"Adam, you can't just ignore this. It'll get worse!"

"I will ignore it till it goes away!" Adam whispered angrily.

"And what happens when it doesn't?" Jeff shot back.

"Then he'll reach his breaking point and hopefully ask for help" Nick interjected from the doorway.

Adam flinched at his dad's voice, and stormed from the kitchen to retreat back to his room.

Three days passed, and Adam had tried every remedy YouTube and Web M.D. could supply to him. Chewing cloves, oragel, rinsing his mouth with saltwater, the list went on. Nothing was working out like he'd hoped. The pain had become maddening, and he was seriously considering asking Nick for help. But every time he came close to caving, the internet articles and how-it's-done videos would scare him straight again.

He'd had enough of this torture and decided it was time to end it himself. He crept down the stairs quietly, to avoid his siblings questioning his intentions. He made a right turn through the kitchen heading towards nicks office. When he reached the end of the hall he paused and looked between the office and the garage, silently pondering. The sound of footsteps approaching made him hurriedly choose his alternative, the garage. He silently hoped his dad didn't intend on doing laundry for a short while, and shut the door.

The garage in their house was just as pristine and organized as one would assume. Nick had a place for everything and kept the area clean and spotless. This made Adam's job a lot easier as he searched the tool wall for what he needed. He pulled the pliers off the wall and scurried off to the corner of the garage.

Adam swallowed hard and parted his lips as he fumbled with the tool, trying to get a good grip on his tooth. That itself was a feat, because any contact with the tooth in question sent an electric shock through Adam's head every time he attempted it. Tears were starting to roll down his face as he finally gripped it enough to give a small yank. The pain was unbearable and he let out a small scream of agony. Now he had to hurry up, someone in the house was bound to come looking for the source of his distress. He pulled harder, and screamed louder and louder, eventually giving up and throwing down the pliers angrily. Hot wet tears flowed down his flushed cheeks, and he began thinking.

Maybe Nick wasn't such a bad option at this point. Adam made his way back into the hall and stood in front of nicks office door, too afraid to knock. He clutched his head in his hands and crouched down in the hallway.

"Why is this so hard!?" he half shouted at himself.

"Maybe it's because you're psyching yourself out."

"OH GEEZ" Adam jumped up and fell backwards at the sound of his dad's voice. Nick chuckled and helped his startled son back on his feet.

"Have you hit your breaking point?"

Adam looked up shyly at Nick and nodded his head softly. Nick smiled gently and opened the door to his office. "You can do this Adam, trust me."

Adam followed Nick into the room and sat down without being asked.

"Wow, it must be bad for you to be this willing" Nick noted.

"Yeah well…. I did just try a self-help method" Adam gulped.

"Care to elaborate?" Nick asked as he got together his tools, and placed a bib on Adam.

"I uh, tried the pliers, in the garage." He swallowed hard. Nick gave an incredulous look at his oldest son.

"Adam, what were you thinking? You could have done serious damage. Not to mention that must have been extremely painful" Nick scolded.

"I know; I'm sorry, please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad Adam, I'm concerned" Nick spoke while pulling on his gloves. "Let me see how it looks." Nick chose his words carefully to make sure he didn't say anything to scare Adam.

Adam gradually opened his mouth for Nick, who turned on the light and picked up his tools quickly while his son was cooperative.

"Don't touch it, okay? Promise you won't touch it dad."

"I promise I'm only looking right now" Nick assured. He took his time and assessed the damage as well as checked the rest of Adam's teeth. When he was done he retracted his tools and put them back on the tray.

"Alright Adam, were going to pick up where we left off. It hasn't gotten worse, yet. I'm going to numb you first okay?" Nick coaxed.

"Okay" Adam sounded like a frightened child, but nevertheless opened his mouth for Nick.

"You're doing so well right now Adam, I'm proud of you." Nick soothed as he picked up the gel. He applied a bit to the area around Adams tooth and let him relax for a minute.

"Close your eyes please." Nick picked up the syringe and positioned Adam where he needed to be. Adam obeyed and pinched his eyes shut. He was shaking, but he did manage to stay still for the most part. Nick was also holding him in place which helped.

"Alright, in a few minutes you shouldn't feel your face" Nick beamed.

Adam relaxed in his seat and grinned slightly. "It's already feeling better" he laughed, relieved.

"You should listen to me more often" Nick chided at his son. Adam rolled his eyes. After a few minutes Nick turned the light back on and adjusted its position.

"Okay, are you ready to get this done and over with?"

"Not really" Adam whined.

"Well too bad, were doing this" Nick smirked and patted Adam's arm. "Just relax, or try to, and here, put these on." he handed Adam some very large headphones and him iPhone to work with. Adam looked somewhat relieved to have them. He gladly put them on and turned up the volume on the music. Nick gestured for Adam to open his mouth and he did so only slightly. Nick helped him along and forced his mouth open a little more. When he approached with the drill however Adam instinctively flinched away.

Nick took the headphones off of him. "Adam, you need to hold still for me. This will take a little time and it's very delicate."

"I know, I just feel like it's going to hurt."

"Adam, not again, we've been through this. It won't hurt a bit" Nick sighed.

"Yeah, but in the garage it hurt so badly, and I kind of messed with myself on that one." He admitted.

"Well get that thought out of your head and know now that you're in control and I know what to do as well."

This time Adam shut his eyes and turned on his music again. He flinched a little when he felt Nick begin the process but relaxed a lot when he realized it was painless like his dad promised. This was much better than his other idea.

Nick took his time and finished up in about half an hour. He let Adam know he was done by quickly taking away the headphones and ruffling his hair.

"Oh my god, you're alive! It's a miracle everyone" he teased.

Adam frowned in annoyance and playfully shoved his dad. "I know, I'm a weenie, but this is the only thing I'm a weenie about."

"It's okay Adam; everyone has the right to feel uncomfortable about certain things. But aren't you glad you got this done and over with?"

He nodded eagerly and sat up as Nick put everything away.

"Thanks dad" Adam hugged Nick awkwardly and ran up to his room.

"Oh, don't thank me yet" Nick mumbled after his son left.


	6. Chapter 6

The kids were sitting in the kitchen Saturday morning. It was around 10 am and sunny outside. The boys were planning on going for a swim in the pool later in the afternoon. Sarah was going to enjoy getting a tan now that she was done studying for her SAT's.

Michael was frying himself an egg while Jeff and Adam ate their frosted flakes and fruit loops respectively.

Nick strolled into the kitchen to refill his coffee mug as he finished talking to someone on the phone.

"Great, see you at noon. We'll be there, Thanks Blaine."

The hair on the back of Adams neck rose when he heard Uncle Blaine's name. Sarah's ears perked up too.

"What's up with Uncle Blaine dad?"

"Nothing sweetheart, I just made us all appointments to see him this afternoon." Nick sipped his coffee casually.

Adam dropped his spoon into the bowl he had been eating from. Jeff just kept the spoon hovering in front of his mouth, confused at Adam's reaction, as he cocked an eyebrow. He shrugged and continued eating breakfast.

"Can you drop me off at Jennifer's house afterwards then?" Sarah requested.

"Sure thing honey" Nick smiled. "Adam, you seem quiet, is something wrong." Nick gave him a knowing look.

Adam just smiled a wide obviously fake smile and rose from his seat to take his bowl to the sink. He continued his smiling as he walked back around the counter and grabbed Jeff by the collar. He began dragging him upstairs towards their bedrooms.

"Ow ow ow, Adam, ow ow, where are you taking me?" Jeff choked out as he was dragged.

Nick shook his head and laughed as his oldest son disappeared.

"You two finish breakfast and then go get ready. I'll be upstairs coaxing your brothers out of their shells." He grabbed his coffee and headed upstairs.

Meanwhile in Adams room, the two boys were sitting in Adams closet with the door shut and the lights off.

"What are you doing? Why are we being so secretive dude?" Jeff sighed in an exasperated tone.

Adam held a finger to his lips quickly to indicate silence. He pointed to the door when he heard nick come in.

"You guys in here? Hello? Adam, Jeff, come out, we need to talk." Nick sounded tired.

"We're in here" Jeff shouted. Adam flailed his hands around and covered Jeff's mouth, but it was too late. Nick pulled open the closet door and dragged Adam out first. His son had a look of shock and defeat on his face. Jeff clamored out after him.

"Can somebody PLEASE tell me what's going on?" Jeff half yelled.

Nick sat down on the bed with Adam and patted his back. "Adam is nervous about going to see Blaine today."

"Okay and what's the big deal?" Jeff pressed.

"Uncle Blaine is a dentist Jeff" Adam blurted out.

"Oh shit" Jeff face palmed himself.

"You two have nothing to be afraid of. He's just cleaning your teeth" Nick reasoned.

"Yeah right, Jeff, Blaine is an oral surgeon. The only reason dad would take us to him is if something was wrong, like really wrong. Bad news bears-"

Adam was silenced when Nick put a hand over his mouth. "Alright that's enough stories for today. Jeff go back to your room and get dressed."

Jeff was growing as pale as Adam and his hands had gone clammy.

"Jeff, don't work yourself up over what Adam said. Go get dressed."

Jeff sulked off to his room and shut the door while Nick dealt with Adam.

At 11:00 the family piled I to the car, with a little coaxing from Nick, and headed down town to see their favorite pseudo uncle.

"You don't actually expect us to believe Blaine is just cleaning our teeth right?" Adam shot at Nick. "I mean, you could do that yourself" he continued on with his theory.

"Yes, but you need to learn to control your behavior, and what better place to do that than a public space where everyone can see you misbehave" Nick glared dangerously at his son. He pulled into the parking lot and up near Blaine's SUV. Adam and Jeff stayed seated while Sarah and Michael climbed out.

"Adam, Jeff, time to go."

"You can't make me!" Adam sassed at his father.

"Adam, public space, remember? I don't want to embarrass you all by dragging my eighteen year old son into the dentist but you can be damned sure I will."

Adam's face blanched and he got out of the car after that. The group walked in together and sat down while Nick chatted with Blaine's receptionist briefly. "Family outing today?" she laughed.

"Something like that" Nick mused as he thanked her. The calm members of the family sat and read the nearby magazines or scrolled through their twitter feed. The two uncomfortable members on the other hand, sat shaking next to Nick while they waited for Blaine to join them.

It didn't take long, because Jeff and Adam's heads both shot up when they heard the office door opening. Blaine stepped out in his dark blue scrubs and gave Nick a warm hug, they were practically brothers, and smiled at the boys.

"Hi everyone, it's been a while" he spoke kindly. "Who wants to go first?" Both Adam and Jeff averted their eyes from Blaine and Nick.

Sarah raised her hand casually. "I guess that's me" she smiled. Blaine grinned and showed her back while Nick sat down with his sons.

Adam fidgeted with his jacket and Jeff skimmed over the same line of the magazine he was holding for five minutes. They both jumped a bit when they heard the polisher sound from the back office. Jeff turned to Nick. "Nick, I don't feel well at all. I think I'm gonna pass out." Nick nodded his head at Jeff's statement and helped him lie down on the floor. Thankfully there were no other people in the office with them.

Jeff shut his eyes and allowed himself to breath slowly. His face regained some color to it. Adam still looked miserable.

Sarah emerged and was replaced by Michael instantly. He knew Adam would put up a fight if he didn't go.

"I feel sick too dad" Adam spoke up.

"Are you going to faint?"

"No, I think I'm going to throw up. We should go home; this is too much stress for Jeff and me."

Nick shook his head "no, you'll be alright. It's your turn soon, and then we'll go home." This did nothing to calm Adam down.

Sure enough, after a few minutes Blaine reemerged with Michael in tow. "Who's going next guys?"

Neither boy volunteered willingly.

"I think Adam should go next" Nick interjected.

Adam shot his head up reflexively "why do I have to go next?" he whined.

"Because if I have to be in there for you AND Jeff I at least know your sister can watch him by herself. You on the other hand won't stay put if I'm gone."

"That's not fair" he protested.

"Life's not fair, but you make a good point, how about you and Jeff go back together."

Nick helped Jeff up and gave him an encouraging smile.

Adam rose to his feet and began moving forward as Nick pushed him ahead. Blaine took over and put his arm over Adam's shoulder guiding him gently. Adam shut his eyes and allowed himself to be lead.

"Uncle Blaine, I don't feel well" Adam stated weakly.

"You'll be okay Adam, your dad is right here with you, and I won't hurt you alright?"

"Nnnnnnnnnnn, please Blaine" Adam started to shy away from his uncle and attempted to escape.

"No no Adam calm down" Blaine reasoned. "Nothing is going to happen, just cleaning your teeth that's all." He gestured for Nick to walk with Jeff while he calmed Adam down.

"I can't do this, I can't do this" Adam panicked.

Blaine was grasping at straws trying to find some way to get his 'nephew' to breath. "How about you watch Jeff go first and you can try to calm yourself. Sound good?"

Adam nodded quickly and continued to breathe rapidly.

They entered the room and Nick spoke with Blaine before sitting down with Adam.

"Adam, you're never this bad at home unless you have something wrong. Is everything okay, or is there something you'd like to tell us?"

Adam shook his head and stayed silent. He reconsidered after a second or two. "Blaine is an oral surgeon, and I'm not stupid, why would you bring us to see him when you can do all this at home. You're going to do something" Adam choked out.

"No we're not, and to prove it Jeff is going to go first, come on Jeff have a seat" Blaine spoke.

Jeff shook as he laid down and looked over at Nick. Blaine joined him as he sat down on his stool and rolled his knees under Jeff's head. Blaine placed a bib on Jeff who began to panic as the chair was reclined. He looked up to Blaine with a pleading expression to let him go, but there was no such luck for the two boys. Blaine turned on the light and adjusted it while he pulled his tools closer. "Alright Jeff, can you open for me so I can clean your teeth? I'm just cleaning them up a bit." Blaine held up his mirror and explorer for Jeff to see. He looked to Nick who scooted closer and sat next to Jeff to hold his hand. Jeff visibly relaxed a bit at his father's touch and fractionally opened his mouth for Blaine.

Blaine smiled encouragingly and helped to open Jeff's mouth a bit more before beginning to scale his teeth. "You're doing great Jeff; I don't have to clean much. Next we're going to polish. Nick told me you're not a fan of the sound so I have headphones if you want to wear them" Blaine offered. Jeff eagerly nodded his head and took the wires from Blaine. He put his music on but wouldn't open his mouth until Blaine showed him the hand piece had the brush head on it. When Jeff was satisfied with his reassurances he opened his mouth for his uncle and shut his eyes, gripping the iPod tightly in his hands.

Adam covered his ears and shut his eyes when Blaine started. Nick frowned, because he had hoped seeing Jeff go first would reassure Adam, but it seemed to be having no effect or making it worse. Nick moved from Jeff's side to rub Adam's shoulder reassuringly. His oldest looked up at him and grimaced in fear. Blaine only took a few more minutes to polish Jeff's teeth and put the hand piece back down.

"Alright Jeff, last thing is the exam and then you're done" Blaine spoke calmly.

Jeff gulped but allowed Blaine access to his mouth with little hesitation. Nick perked up at this part for some reason unknown to the two boys. Adam noticed this as well. "What's he looking for dad?"

Nick hushed his son as Blaine worked. He did a thorough exam and let Jeff close his mouth. "Everything looks good Jeff, no cavities. We can discuss the other things on our to-do list once Adam is done with his cleaning."

Jeff blanched slightly. To do list sounded bad to him.

Nick smiled, pleased with the blonde. "Come sit over here Jeff. Or you can go out to Sarah and Michael if you'd like."

Jeff looked from the door to Adam who looked terrified and sighed, deciding to stay.

Adam made no move to get up and replace Jeff. It took Blaine pulling him up a bit and Nick coaxing him forward with a hand on his shoulder to even get him in the chair at all.

"Adam, how's everything going huh?" Blaine questioned kindly. "I know you're not particularly chatty in this situation but we can just talk if you'd like for a bit." Blaine didn't get much of a response aside from a nervous shake of the head. He decided to recline the chair anyway at that point. Adam didn't seem pleased but he stayed seated which exceeded all of their expectations.

"Okay buddy, I just need you to open up a tiny bit so I can clean your teeth and then do a quick exam and then you're free to go."

Adam whined and shook his head a little but his dad's disappointed gaze made him comply out of embarrassment.

"Tell you what, how about I just look around and you and your dad can decide when to do your cleaning at home another time okay?" Blaine offered. It seemed too good to be true but Adam eagerly took the deal and opened instantly. Blane gave Nick a self-satisfied smirk and began his exam. He took his time and gave his friend a wary look that only Jeff caught.

"Okay Adam, you're done, but I still need to talk to you and Jeff with your dad." Blaine explained calmly.

Adam looked at Nick with a confused expression, Jeff looked concerned.

"You both have wisdom teeth coming in. Jeff yours are only growing in on the left side so there are two. Adam, you have all but the bottom right, that's three. They should come out sooner rather than later in my opinion." Blaine looked to Nick to take over at this point. The boys turned to their dad quickly for help.

"Were making appointments for this today for this to be taken care of," Nick stated firmly.

Adam had a look of horror on his face and he scurried out to his siblings. Jeff held his head in his hands but gave Blaine a fearful look after a few seconds. "What are you going to do? Is it going to hurt?" he asked rapidly.

Blaine chuckled softly. "I get asked that a lot, and no, it will not. I'll not only numb you locally but you guys will be put under for the operation." Jeff cringed at that word and whined childishly but nodded at Blaine. Nick nodded tiredly and told Jeff to go wait with his sibling now that they didn't need to keep the boys there anymore.

Nick decided it was best to make two separate appointments for them so one didn't panic the whole time while waiting. He thanked Blaine and took the kids home, ignoring the boy's inquiries about their fate for the time being. The plan was for Jeff to go first since he was the easier case so Adam could see it wouldn't be terrible for him.

Two weeks later Jeff found himself being driven to Blaine's office looking white as a sheet and ready to burst into tears.

"You'll be okay Jeff, its okay, I'll stay with you until you're asleep and Blaine will take care of everything" Nick comforted.

**To be continued…**

**A/N: Thanks for you continued support. I've gotten a lot of DEMANDS to update this. I'm going to try to write more but ill let you all know my job is more demanding now nad I'm getting back into school not to mention I'm engaged and moving my fiancé out across country soon (he's read the fanfic, he's a keeper) so it's a bit much but I do enjoy writing. So thanks for liking my work, it means a lot.**


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